


Distorted Hearts

by Chrimson_Bonez



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Curses, Dragon AU, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Grima, Shapeshifting, will add more characters to the tags as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 17:47:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12687144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrimson_Bonez/pseuds/Chrimson_Bonez
Summary: After two long years, Robin finally returned home, waking from the void in the same field where Chrom and Lissa first found her. This time, however, she wakes up all alone, and that's not the only thing that's different this time.Time is of the essence as Robin must find a way to rid herself of Grima's final grip, or else become the very embodiment of anger and darkness itself.





	1. Awakened

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Exalted_Dawn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exalted_Dawn/gifts).



White.

That was the first thing she noticed after drowning in darkness for so long. The large void was all Robin could remember as her eyes begin to blink, trying to readjust to so much light. After she managed to shake the grogginess out of her mind, patches of colors and shapes began to paint a clearer picture of where she was.

A bright, open field stretched all around her, grass swaying gently in the warm summer breeze. The sky was a bright blue, with only a few puffs of clouds floating by. Robin’s eyes briefly followed them until her gaze drifted towards a familiar dirt road, partially obscured by the grass bed she lied in. Her breath hitched as tears began to prick in the corners of her eyes. This was where her life began. Just outside of Southtown.

As she stared across the field, memories of that day came flooding back to her mind, one after another. She could have sworn that the more she remembered, the clearer the world around her became. She recalled Lissa’s blonde hair bouncing as she smiled down at her, the princess’s signature yellow dress draped around her frame as she said hello to Robin for the first time. Then a flash of blue rushed through her mind as a familiar gloved hand reached for her own.

“There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know.”

 Her memory of his voice was so clear that for a moment she thought he was actually there, saying those words. The voice belonged to her beloved husband, Chrom. She could see his blue hair, his warm smile, and bright eyes. She treasured every morning they were there to greet her and chase the sleepiness away. His palm would gently press against her cheek, and she remembered how she developed the habit of leaning into his touch. It always seemed to calm her, making her feel loved, like she belonged at the Exalt’s side. Those happy memories began to shift towards ones of sorrow and regret.

She was the daughter of Validar, the former ruler of Plegia, as well as the leader of the Grimleal. Her lungs burned during that fateful battle, her muscles on fire and begging for rest. But she knew she couldn’t afford to stop, not when Grima was finally down on his knees as he wore an exact copy of her skin. As Chrom began to charge forward, Falchion in hand, she shoved him aside. Before he had a chance to react, her magic jolted forward, slamming into her doppelganger’s gut. The sound of her own screeches was bloodcurdling, but when they finally stopped, she knew that her job was done. Before being swallowed by darkness, the last thing she saw was Chrom, wind angerly blowing through his hair and tears running down his cheeks as he screamed her name and begged her not to go.

A tear of her own snuck down her face, pulling Robin out of her memories and back to the present. Now was not the time to start crying. She was back, and she had to find him. Slowly she lifted her head and looked around again, just now noticing how vast the view was. In one moment, she could see tree line to tree line and everything in between. Was she… always able to see this well? Perhaps her memory was still a bit patchy. It had been so long since she actually used her eyes that she had actually forgotten how exactly she viewed the world.

She shifted her legs out from under her body, pushing against the ground to stand up. Just as she was about upright, she froze. She had absolutely no memory of ever needing to do that to stand.

To be fair, she never really thought about how she stood up in the past. But what she could remember was having two legs for her to stand on, not four. She gulped, and slowly glanced down. Her blood ran cold when, instead of legs and brown boots, she saw sharp claws attached to bulky limbs covered in black scales. In shock, she carelessly twisted her body around, causing her to trip over her back legs and send her tail slicing through a nearby patch of grass. This can’t be real…

Panic caused her heart to pound rapidly in her chest, and she scurried out of the field and into the woods. If she looked the way she thought she did, she couldn’t let anyone spot her. A small part of her still didn’t believe what kind of body she was in. As she slipped into the shade of the trees, she remembered the stream she and Lissa went to in order to fetch water during her first night as the Shepherd’s tactician. If her memory was correct, it shouldn’t be too far away. She had to confirm it for herself.

Branches and brambles snapped under her large feet as she slowly stumbled through the trees, unsure of how to walk properly in this odd form. She definitely was not doing a good job in hiding her presence, and she hoped that no one would hear her, or worse, find her. She couldn’t imagine anyone giving her a warm welcome if this was real.

Soon enough, she could hear running water. After emerging from a particularly thick patch of bushes, she stumbled upon the small familiar creek. The area had hardly changed since the last time she was here. Nostalgia washed over her as Lissa’s voice began ringing in her ear, as if she was right there...

* * *

 

 _“_ _So_ _you really can’t remember anything?!” the princess gasped. Robin shook her head as she set the wooden bucket down._

 _“I mean, I remember what happened today,” she explained, “but everything before meeting you guys_ _is a complete blank.” Lissa gave her a pitiful look and then glanced down at her boots._

_“I’m so sorry, Robin,” she muttered, “I wish there was something I could do…” Robin smiled and patted her shoulder._

_“Don’t worry, Lissa,” she replied, “You’ve already helped me immensely by finding me in the field and welcoming me into the Shepherds. Believe me when I say that I am incredibly grateful to you and Chrom.” At the mention of her brother, Lissa’s demeanor changed as she rolled her eyes and snorted._

_“You won’t be thinking that for long,” she retorted, “I think I overheard him saying something about eating bear meat tonight.”_

_“Oh, that doesn’t sound so bad,” Robin giggled, “It’s always good to try new things!”_

_“Ugh, that makes you sound like my brother,” she groaned. Robin just laughed as she drew the water._

_“Let’s get back before Frederick accuses me of kidnapping you.”_

 

* * *

At the time, Robin hoped that that conversation was the start of a friendship with Lissa. She never imagined that she would become her sister-in-law. While Chrom loved Robin with all his heart, his younger sister was also kind to her, oftentimes acting like they had always been family. Robin could feel her heart begin to ache. She missed them all dearly.

Dirt and rocks began to replace soft grass as Robin approached the stream, and every scrap her nails made against the stones below her made her heart beat harder and harder. She knew that this wasn’t the body she originally had, but she had to look. She had to know just how severe her condition was. When she reached the edge of the water, she closed her eyes and took deep breath before leaning over. Slowly, she opened them, and nearly screamed at the sight of her own reflection.

The image of a beast with a long black snout covered in scales stared back at her. A pair of horns protruded from her head, curling inwards and towards her large jaws, which she opened to reveal sharp and terrifying teeth. The only thing about her appearance she recognized was that her first pair of eyes were soft brown like before, while the other four were glowing purple. She was the spitting image of the Fell Dragon, Grima.

Panic began flooding her senses, making her thoughts race by so fast she swore all she could see was white. She backed away from the water, nearly tripping over her own tail. This… couldn’t be real. It had to be a nightmare, or perhaps she had truly unknowingly perished after the battle on Grima’s back, and she was in Hell. She squeezed her eyes shut and slowly began to shake her large head back and forth, praying that if she shook hard enough, she could rouse herself from her sleep, and wake up with hands and hair once more. But all she accomplished was making herself dizzy. She wasn’t about to stop, until she heard a twig crack behind her.

Her eyes suddenly snapped open, and a shiver ran down her spine to the tip of her tail as she realized she was no longer alone. Slowly, she turned are head around to see what was there, hoping that it was just a careless rabbit or fox that had wandered too close. Her heart had nearly stopped beating when she saw that that was not the case.

Standing a few feet away was her husband, the crowned Exalt of Ylisse. Chrom’s left hand was grasping the trunk of a nearby tree, looking about as startled and confused as Robin felt. His pants were covered in dirt, his cobalt hair a mess like always, and his torn cape flowing in the gentle breeze. A bizarre sense of relief washed over her just by seeing him, and she instinctively began to approach him. However, her small flame of hope was quickly extinguished when he glared at her with cold eyes. Robin’s blood ran cold as she realized that she was staring down the sharp end of Falchion’s mighty blade for the second time in her life.

 

 


	2. Reunion

Anger began to bubble into his chest the longer Chrom stared at the scaly beast before him. How… how could this have happened? Robin struck the Fell Dragon down with her own hand, permanently destroying Grima in order to ensure the peaceful future she wanted for her kingdom, her friends, and her family. Or at least, that was what was supposed to happen. And yet here the monster stood before him, alive, while his wife was gone… if his mind wasn’t playing a sick and twisted game with him. All too often, while walking in the long hallways of the castle or strolling along on patrol with the other Shepherds, he would think that he saw her dark cloak out of the corner of his eye, only for her to disappear the second he turned his head to face her.

His right arm began to twitch, eager to finally swing his mighty blade and slice the thing’s neck open. He wanted it to suffer before it died, just as he had over these long years without his beloved by his side. It was all its fault. It deserved to writhe in pain as it slowly bled out, and he wanted to be there to witness every second of it. If he couldn’t have his wife back, then he could at the very least relish in the fact that he was able to bring her killer down, even though it was supposed to have already been destroyed.

Teeth gleaming in the dappled sunlight as it opened its mouth broke his daydreams of cutting the beast down, and he let out a mighty roar as he blindly swung Falchion, attempted to finally hit it and bathe the ground beneath his feet with its unholy blood. To his dismay, he missed his target as it shrunk back on its hind legs. He braced himself for its counterattack, likely a swipe from its mighty claws, but to his confusion, the monster awkwardly twisted its body away from him, and its nails scraped against the ground as it began to run away from him. It was… not the action he was expecting it to make, but he gave himself little time to ponder on it as he quickly began to chase the beast down, his gloved hand still tightly gripping Falchion. He was so close, and he wasn’t about to let it get away.

The beast made little effort in trying to hide, not that there was much it could do to accomplish that. It was as large as a draft horse, and its dark scales did not blend into the lush green foliage at all. However, it was quicker than a creature that size should have been. Brambles and thorns slit little cuts into his bare skin as he charged forward, his eyes constantly peeled open, making sure he wouldn’t lose sight of his target. His lungs screamed for more air as the chase dragged on, and his muscles felt as if they were on fire. But he refused to stop. He couldn’t. He’d chase this beast over to the ends of the earth if he had to.

He began to feel a second surge of power to press on when he noticed that the creature ahead was starting to slow down. A smirk began to twitch up from the corner of his mouth as he panted, pleased that it didn’t have nearly the same amount of endurance as he did. The beast was soon screeching to a halt, and as he got closer, Chrom saw that it was standing at the edge of a steep ravine, carefully trying to turn itself around to face him once more. Another odd thought suddenly sprouted in his mind:

Why wasn’t it trying to fly away? Even though they were folded neatly over the beast’s back, it’s black wings were there, and neither one looked as if it were injured. Instead, it had decided to waste energy barreling through the trees, and now it was about to pay dearly for its mistakes.

The prince halted in front of the monster, breathing loudly as his body worked to try to get more air into his lungs. His face was covered in dirt and sweat, making his blue bangs stick to his forehead. The beast before him fared no better, its bulky limbs trembling and its breathing just as hard and raspy as his own. When it finally lifted its massive head to face him, he could no longer keep the angry thoughts that swarmed his head silent.

“How dare you!” He howled. Its body seemed to twitch at the sudden sound of his booming voice, and after catching a few more breaths, he continued his uncontrollable ranting.

“How dare you show your face after what you’ve done! You stole her from me! YOU KILLED MY WIFE! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU TO HELL!” He stood his ground, staring unapologetically into its six unnatural eyes. He gritted his teeth, and took another large step forward, but it did nothing but pull its large head back, trying to look away from him. But he was having none of it.

“Well,” he hollered, “What do you have to say for yourself, Fell Dragon?!” Suddenly, it swung its head back around, staring him down, before its jaws opened. But instead of a mighty roar, or a surprise attack, the beast wailed a meek cry. Finally, Chrom swung Falchion once again at the monster. Alas, he missed once again. As it pulled its body back again, it suddenly lost its footing as the edge of the ravine crumbled under its back legs. Its dense body toppled over, and landed with a loud thud as it slammed into the ground.

* * *

 

The world around her continued to spin, even after her harsh tumble down. Luckily for her, the ravine wasn’t too deep, so she was able to avoid any severe injuries. Despite this, her head was pounding and her ears were ringing, creating a sound within her own mind that was both too loud and silent all at once. Her body began to twitch, trying to get her to stand back up and get away from the threat now that she had a better chance of escaping. But her heart was even heavier than this new body, and it told her to stay put for him. Even though he was dead set on killing her in this very moment, she still loved him. She still wanted to comfort him. His eyes were filled with grief and anger, and it was all her fault.

Robin knew how emotional Chrom could be. She remembered how much pain his heart had suffered after the death of his sister, and how overwhelmed he felt during his first few weeks as Exalt. She had promised to help him through those rough times, to be there to comfort him and assist him in finding solutions. But in her final moments, she took advantage of his trust in her and broke his heart. How could she do that to the man she claimed to love? Perhaps she deserved to be killed by his hand.

It would be for the best, she thought to herself. He could finally have closure, and he would be able to properly start healing. Robin would no longer have to live inside this cursed body, and she could finally rest. Her death would end her husband’s pain. But frustration began to burn in her chest as a small part of her still begged to live, to see him smile just one more time. How selfish could one woman be?

Boots aggressively stomping towards her snapped her back into her current predicament. She moved her head around, and watched as Chrom approached her, still holding his sword in his hand. The moment had finally arrived, she hoped. He stopped in front of her, staring down at her with stone cold eyes. Robin tried to look back, but she was having a hard time meeting his intimidating glare. It was the same expression he wore after Emmeryn died, as he sliced through Plegian soldiers as if their bodies were nothing more than butter being cut with a hot knife. They say the eyes are a window into the soul, and all Robin could see in his right now was a thirst for vengeance.

“Why won’t you fight back?” he growled. She tilted her head up and looked back at him. She had tried speaking to him earlier, but every time she tried to call out his name, odd sounds and roars slipped passed her teeth. There was no point in trying again this time. Instead, she decided to embrace Chrom’s judgement. If this was the way to help him, she would gladly accept it.

She shifted her feet around under her and pushed up, her joints still a bit shaky from the fall, as well as her still not used to her heavier size. He stepped back slightly as she stood, and she puffed out her chest to him. His brow knitted in confusion, and he looked up at her. She stared back, until she finally closed all her eyes. She patiently waited to feel the sharp steel pierce her scaly hide and end this. She was ready to accept her punishment for forcing her husband to go through so much pain and suffering for a second time.

Instead, she heard the blade sheath back into its scabbard. Curious, she opened her eyes once more, and once again looked down at Chrom. His fists were clenched, shoulders scrunched up, and he was staring down to the ground. His muscles were beginning to shake, and Robin’s heart dropped when she realized that he was trying to hold back tears. But why? Why would he cry over a traitor, no, a monster like her?

After a few moments of him trying to catch his breath, he finally looked back up at her. This time, instead of facing her like a wild beast, he stared deep into her eyes. She stared back, nearly getting lost in his blue pools, until she saw his eyes widen slightly. She broke eye contact with him when she saw him lift his hand, towards her face. He cautiously placed his palm against her scaly cheek, and before she could think, she closed her eyes and gently leaned into his touch, like she had done so many times before. He quickly pulled his warm hand back, and placed it over his mouth in disbelief. He could no longer hold his tears back as he uttered a word he never thought he’d say again.

“R… Robin…?”

Relief washed over her as she bent her head down, unable to look at him anymore. Her breathing had become labored, and she finally felt her own tears began to seep out of her eyes and splat into the dirt below, right near Chrom’s teardrops. Never before had she been so grateful to be able to cry. She could finally show her husband that despite her nightmarish appearance, she was still human on the inside. She was still Robin.

* * *

 

Chrom fell on his knees as he gasped for breath, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. His body was shaking, and his mind was racing through too many emotions at once. Part of him was overjoyed. His beloved Robin was alive, and she was standing right in front of him. But he was more so angry, no longer at her, but at himself. He winced as he remembered the thoughts he had not long ago, and his stomach twisted itself into knots when the words he screamed at her began to echo in his ears. He couldn’t look at her again. Not yet. All it would do would remind him that he spat those vile words at the person he swore to love and protect for the rest of his days. He clenched his fists and tried to anchor himself down by staring at them, hoping to keep himself from hurling.

But his eyes soon drifted to Falchion’s hilt, still strapped to his side. He began to feel lightheaded as the image of the fallen dragon he craved minutes ago was replaced with his wife’s lifeless body lying in a pool of her own blood, Falchion’s blade still jutting out of her gut. A fresh set of tears crept out of his eyes as he fought to keep bile down in his stomach.

His tormenting thoughts were interrupted for a moment when he felt a rush of warm air blow through his hair. He looked up, and saw that Robin had leaned her head in a bit closer, likely trying to comfort him in some way. She pulled back a bit, perhaps a bit startled, and her gaze began to shift from his face to the ground. Despite the pain still pulsing in his mind, a smile began to grow across his face.

“Robin,” he muttered again, “It’s… it’s okay. I’m… Gods…” He sucked in a sharp breath, trying to keep himself from sobbing.

“What I did was… I-I’m so sorry…” His chest was heaving, his breathing becoming harder to control, until he felt a light press against the top of his head. Another blow of air breezed through his locks, and he let out a shaky sigh. He felt that words could never truly undo what he tried to do, but at the very least, his wife was no longer trying to run away from him.

When she pulled her head away, Chrom slowly pulled himself back on his feet. She began to step back, and before he could even think, he found himself stepping forward. He didn’t want to be farther from her than necessary. He gently placed his palm back on her cheek, and he couldn’t help but let his smile from earlier return as she once again leaned in.

“Gods, Robin,” he murmured, grabbing her attention, “I’ve missed you… I’ve missed you so much…”

* * *

 

Lissa sat on the edge of a wooden cargo wagon, her feet dangling off the edge as she rested her head in her hands. Her eyes worriedly stared at the edge of the woods, just a few feet from the field they were waiting in. She could hear Frederick’s armor clanking as he paced back and forth, stopping every once and a while to either stare at the same tree line or to calm his mare as she nickered at him. Her eyes drifted up to the evening sky and sighed.

It had been hours since Chrom ran off into the woods, shouting something about seeing something “suspicious” going into the forest. Frederick had insisted that he go with him, but her brother ordered him to stay behind and keep an eye on her, making her roll her eyes. She didn’t need protecting from anyone, save for the axe she now carried with her every time she goes on patrol. But now that the sun was beginning to set, she secretly appreciated the fact that she wasn’t left alone. However, it didn’t make her worry for her brother go away any time soon. If anything, it only caused her concern to grow.

She turned her head to talk to Frederick, until she saw a blot of blue emerge from the trees. Relief washed over her. She leaped off the wagon and sprinted towards Chrom before Frederick could hold her back. He wore a small smile when he saw her, and he held his arms out to accept her inevitable tackle hug.

“What took you so long?!” She asked as she stepped away. Frederick ran up to join them, relief and concern painted on his face as well.

“Milord,” he sighed, “Where in Naga’s name have you been?! I was this close to going in there and looking for- “

“I-I’m sorry,” he interrupted, “I was… uh… caught up in something.” Frederick raised an eyebrow, and Lissa stayed silent, urging him to go on. Instead, Chrom looked away from them and scratched the back of his head.

“Uh… w-well,” he stuttered, “So… I, well…” He couldn’t find the words, and instead just sighed before turning back towards the forest.

“Maybe it would be best if we just… show them, Robin…”

Lissa gasped and put her hands over her mouth, and both of Frederick’s eyebrows rose as his frown grew a bit. For so long, Chrom refused to speak her name, but when he did, it was usually followed by a necessity to run off and mourn, either by locking himself up in his chambers to weep or by going to the training grounds to hack and slash training dummies for hours. Sometimes Lissa would even catch him sitting in Robin’s former study or sulking around the library. Her disappearance weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts, but it was nothing compared to how distraught and lost Chrom was for the past two years.

The air was deathly silent as they eagerly waited to see the tactician emerge from the bushes, but she still didn’t appear. Instead, a huge creature with dark scales appeared before them, its claws digging into the dirt at its feet. Lissa let out a loud gasp, and shortly after Frederick rushed in front of her, his spear held up in a defensive position.

“Milord!” He shouted, attempting to encourage Chrom to ready his own weapon, but instead, the prince shook his head and stepped between the beast and the knight.

“Wait, please,” he desperately said, “Don’t attack her! This is Robin!” Lissa peeked from behind Frederick to get another look, and she was a bit surprised to see that it had hardly budged, save for its ears folding back and it slightly pulling its head away.

“Have you gone mad,” the knight growled back, “If my memory serves correctly, your wife was a human! That there is a- “

“Dragon…” Lissa quietly interrupted.

“I-I know,” Chrom explained, “I know she looks like… that… but I swear, it’s her!”

“And where is your proof,” Frederick retorted, “While I respect your judgement as a leader, Milord, I simply cannot blindly accept that this thing does not intend to do you and Lady Lissa harm!” Chrom’s hair began to bristle at his comment, and his muscles tensed as he tried to keep himself together.

“She has yet to start harming us for one,” he countered, “and… just look at how your horse is reacting! She has yet to so much as sneeze at Robin!” Frederick’s eyes cut at the dragon, obviously not convinced with Chrom’s arguments. He swung the spearhead towards it, threatening to stab her if she decided to even breathe suspiciously.

“Titania is a warhorse! She fought alongside us through TWO wars, one ending with a battle atop that _thing’s_ back,” he shouted, “And as for why it has yet to attack… I know not of its exact intentions, but did it ever occur to you that it is simply biding its time?!” Chrom’s body began to shake as his own eyes stared coldly at the knight, still not ready to back down. Lissa slowly inched away from Frederick, and looked at Chrom with sympathetic eyes.

“Chrom,” she said, “Chrom, I… I know how much you loved her, and how her being gone has been rough for you, but…” The prince turned from Frederick to her, blinking away his anger and instead giving her a disappointed gaze. He knew that Frederick would act this way, but he had hoped that his sister would have understood more. He glanced back up at the dragon, and then back to them.

“I… I know it’s her,” he muttered, “It… it sounds crazy but…” He sighed, and his shoulders dipped down a bit, a sign that he was running out of ideas. Their arguments were justified, he knew. There absolutely was the chance that this was a spell cast by an enemy, a way to kill him off without a trace. His love for his wife was no secret, after all. But there was something about her presence that just… felt right. Felt like he was safe and cared for. Felt like what it was like to be with his wife.

Lissa took a few more nervous steps toward her brother, ignoring Frederick’s warnings, and examined what he claimed to be Robin once again. She studied how its scales rose and fell in time with its breathing, and she saw how its six eyes all glowed. But then she squinted, looking straight into the pair closest to its nose, and realized that they weren’t unnaturally purple, but were instead a familiar brown color. She scratched her head, and looked between her brother and those eyes. She then noticed how after her initial shock, she didn’t feel any malice radiating off the beast. It was almost like she subconsciously knew that it had no intention of harming her.

“Milord, you are aware that you claiming that your wife came back from the dead as a dragon will not sit well with the court,” Frederick explained. Chrom simply rolled his eyes at that.

“There were those in court who felt that my marriage to her would be the fall of my house,” Chrom retorted, “I’m not known for caring about what others think of me.”

“I mean, he does have a point, Chrom,” Lissa chipped in. She opened her mouth to continue, but Frederick quickly took his opportunity to add to his previous statement.

“What’s worse is word will spread to neighboring lands,” he went on, “You could be seen as unfit to rule, and then what?! Please, Milord, think of- “ It was Lissa’s turn to interrupted him this time, with a loud and aggressive cough.

“He may have a point,” she explained, “but… I want her back, too, you know? Robin was always a great big sister to me.” She paused and smiled brightly up at the dragon, and she thought for a moment she could see some sort of warm emotion being cast from its brown eyes.

“So if… this IS Robin… how are we going to get her back home?”

Frederick nearly dropped his lance in shock at the princess’s question. Chrom stared down at her with wide eyes, and then smiled. He’s not sure if he’s completely convinced her yet, but she’s at least willing to give Robin a chance.

“I still think we should proceed with caution,” the knight grumbled as he dragged his feet back to his horse.

“We’ll win him over soon, Robin,” Chrom reassured her. In response, she simply let out a long sigh through her nose.

 “But seriously,” Lissa pressed, interrupting them, “How ARE we going to get i- er, her to the castle? She’s a big dragon, one that looks an awful lot like Grima to boot! I don’t think people are going to be too thrilled to see her…”

“Let Milord put the beast in his pocket,” Frederick shouted, “It makes about as much sense as anything else that’s happening!” Chrom knew that the knight was just being wary, again, but he couldn’t help but let those words stew in his mind for a bit. Honestly, he hadn’t thought about how he was going to bring her home. It hadn’t crossed his mind until just now. He was stumped, and he turned to Robin to ask her for advice. She may had lost her ability to speak, but her eyes staring at the wagon told him everything he needed to know.

“My pocket is a tad small,” the prince yelled back, “But I think a supply wagon will do!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the late updates... It's very close to the end of my semester and I've been very busy with school projects. Hopefully with my break coming up I'll have more time to write and update.


	3. Horsey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas!
> 
> I finally updated the story.

The wood creaked as Robin carefully stepped into the wagon. The more weight she pressed, the more the beams groaned, and she was worried that she was going to break them. Heat began to creep along her cheeks, but she was sure that the scales were covering any blush she may or may not have had. Slowly, she pulled her last back foot in and to her relief, the wood didn’t snap. She had originally hoped to twist her body around so she could see out the back of the covered wagon, but she was afraid to move and break something. Instead, she peeked out the front, trying to see what the others were doing.

After a few moments, Frederick climbed up onto the driver’s seat, with Lissa sitting up front next to him. Chrom hopped in from the back, and carefully made his way up to a small crate near Robin’s head. But before he sat down, he threw a large cloth tarp over her.

“It’ll still be dark when we get there,” he explained, “but… it doesn’t hurt to be careful.” Frederick snapped the reins after lighting a lantern, and off they were down the road to the capital. It was a rather uneventful journey, save for Chrom continuing to talk to Robin, trying to catch her up with everything that happened over the two years she had been gone. She still had a tough time believing that it had been that long, but compared to her new shape, it was of little concern to her.

She knew that they had finally reached the city when the smooth dirt from most of the journey was replaced with the loud clanking of stone streets, and soon the cart had stopped just inside the castle courtyard.

“Pull in to the stable,” Chrom whispered to Frederick.

“Are you sure, Milord?” he asked. Chrom nodded.

“No one should be there this late at night,” the prince explained. Too tired to argue, Frederick simply nodded and hopped off the cart in order to better lead his horse to the stable.

As the knight began unlatching the mare from the wagon, Chrom jumped out, and slowly directed Robin out as well. While the cart let out a large groan as she finally stepped off, she sighed with relief when it remained in one piece. Lissa pulled the tarp off her, and Chrom beckoned Robin to follow them inside. She glanced once more towards Frederick, but he payed them no mind, likely trying to concentrate on his current task so he wouldn’t have to think about how foolish of an idea it is to let a dragon sleep in the royal stable.

“It’s a good thing you didn’t come back any bigger,” Lissa giggled as they walked down the hallway inside, “Hiding you would’ve been a lot harder!” They stopped at the last stall, all the way at the back entrance, hidden in a dark corner. Chrom pulled the door open effortlessly, and as Robin walked inside, he gave her an apologetic look.

“I’m so sorry, Robin,” he muttered, “I… I have a few things I need to do…” He looked away from her, and his eyes screwed shut as he let out a sigh. Lissa walked up to her as she began to lie down in the straw bedding, and carefully threw the tarp over the dragon’s back once again.

“Not sure if you’re cold, but it’ll be better than nothing,” she smiled. Afterwards, Chrom slowly closed the stall again.

“Robin,” he said, and she lifted her head to look up at him. He gave her a determined look, the fire burning bright in his eyes as he met hers.

“We’re going to fix this,” he finally says, “We’re going to find a way to get your original body back.” Robin was taken slightly aback by his comment. The thought had yet to even occur to her that there could be a way to change back. She was so fixated with the fact that she was back… what if this was the only body she could inhabit in order to be home? Could she choose between being her original body and her family like that? She glanced around her stall, and then back up to her husband. His eyes were filled with determination, and she knew that even if she could speak in words, his mind was made up. Perhaps… he had a point. She nodded, and a warm smile grew across his face.

After Frederick put his horse in her own stall, Chrom waved him towards them.

“I need you to stay here for now and keep an eye on things and make sure no one sees her,” the prince explained. Frederick’s eyebrows rose, and he quickly looked at Robin as she tried to get comfortable in the straw.

“I’m aware that you don’t fully approve of my decision,” Chrom went on, “but I need someone here I trust.” The knight opened his mouth to retort, but instead closed it before sighing out of his nose.

“If… that is what you wish, Milord, then I will do everything in my power to do so,” he confirmed. The prince nodded, and quickly turned back to the dragon in the stall.

“I love you, Robin,” he whispered, “I promise I’ll be back for you soon.” With that, he nodded to Frederick, and Lissa followed her brother as she said good night to both Robin and the knight. He let out another long sigh when the prince and princess were gone. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, causing his armor to clank as he moved his body. Robin laid her head between her front feet, and was almost asleep until she heard him begin to speak.

“If… you are Robin,” he carefully said, “then… I am relieved to see you again.” Her ears perked up as her head raised, not sure if she heard him correctly. He simply turned towards the front entrance, not even bothering to look at her as he explained that guarding her stall solely probably wouldn’t be the best idea. She couldn’t help but smile. At least she was slowly winning him over.

Her head returned to its resting place, and she began to allow sleep to claim her as she lied in the barn, hoping that Chrom was right in thinking that she could regain her original body again.

 

* * *

 

Despite the late hour, Chrom felt as if he was full of energy as he quickly walked down the hallways of the palace, as if he had had a full night’s sleep. He knew that wasn’t true; he hadn’t slept well in two years. After dropping Lissa off in her room, he had originally wanted to immediately go to his study to begin writing his letters, until he was greeted by one of Lucina’s nurses.

“You’re back sooner from the border patrol than we thought!” she exclaimed. Chrom nodded.

“How is Lucina?” he asked. The nurse’s smile disappeared as she rolled her eyes. She flinched when she caught herself complaining about the princess to her father, but Chrom simply chuckled and encouraged her to continue.

“Having a difficult time going to bed,” she explained, “she keeps saying that she’s having nightmares, but that is no excuse to stay up late and play!” Chrom couldn’t help but laugh as he thought of his three-year-old daughter trying to scheme her way out of bedtime. _So much like her mother,_ he thought. His stomach began to turn at that thought, but he quickly reminded himself that she was no longer gone; she was home and alive. Not in the way he expected, but still.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said as he began going to her room. the nurse sighed with relief and waved him good bye. He walked down the familiar hallway that led to his own bedchamber, and passed it and a few more doors until he stopped in front of Lucina’s room. he knocked lightly, and then cracked the door open.

“Lucina…?” he whispered.

“Daddy? Daddy!”

The little girl’s hair flowed behind her as she leaped from her bed and ran straight to her father. Chrom smiled as he got on his knees to embrace her. She laughed as she squeezed him as tight as her little arms could allow.

“You’re back!” she squealed as she slowly pulled away.

“I am,” he chuckled, “I came back because I heard that a certain little girl wasn’t going to bed on time.” He winked at her to show that he was trying to play with her, but Lucina was having none of it. She frowned, and crossed her arms angerly as she turned away from him.

“When I close my eyes, scary things happen,” she explained, “I don’t wanna sleep! I don’t wanna see the scary things!” Chrom could already see a tear begin to grow at the corner of his daughter’s eye. Perhaps she really was having nightmares… but he knew she couldn’t stay up any longer than she already had. He called her name, and she looked back up at him.

“Sleep is very important,” he tried to explain, “you’ll need to go to bed now… but I’ll be in my room, if you need me.” A little lie, he knew, since he had planned to be in the study after this, but he hoped that he wouldn’t be there for long. Besides, she had to be tired now, given how late into the night it was.

“If the scary things come back,” she asked, “can… can I sleep in your bed?” Chrom laughed and nodded.

“Yes,” he agreed as he ruffled her hair, “but only if the scary things come back. I’ll scare them away for you.” The girl smiled, and she quickly hopped back into her bed. Her father stood up and carefully pulled the covers over her and planted a small kiss on her forehead.

“I love you, Daddy,” she yawned.

“I love you, too, Lucina,” he whispered. With that, he stepped away, and gently closed the door behind him.

 

* * *

 

At least two candle marks had gone by since Chrom came into his study. He was sitting at his desk, with his head resting in one hand and the other holding a quill in an attempt to write a letter. Beneath the feathered pen was a piece of paper that was covered in ink drops and scratched out words. He groaned as he set the quill down and hastily crumbled the paper up and tossed it aside. It was his third attempt at penning this thing, but he still just couldn’t get the wording right.

He pulled out another piece from the desk and scratched his head. The letter was supposed to be for his children, Lucina and Morgan. His children from a different time deserved to know that their mother was alive, but he knew that he couldn’t just simply say that she was fine. It… wasn’t the case. But he also didn’t want to worry them, and if the letter was somehow intercepted, he didn’t want other people to know that she no longer looked like a woman. Frederick and Lissa’s warnings from earlier of rumors were a factor, no matter how much he wished they wouldn’t be.

A third candle mark was gone when he was satisfied with the final draft, and quickly wrote up a similar second letter before calling in a castle servant. He was pouring wax onto the envelopes and sealing them with the symbol of House Ylisse when the servant walked in, and the prince quickly handed the letters to him.

“Wake the fastest messengers we have,” he ordered, “Tell them to take these letters and be out of the Ylisstol before the sun rises.” The boy blinked and stole a glance at the final destinations the Exalt had written down.

“…A village to the southeast and Valm?!” he exclaimed. Chrom simply nodded and urged him to go. The sooner the letters were in the hands of their intended receivers the better. The servant was nearly knocked down by a nurse as she burst in, but after a slight curse the boy ran out of the room and towards the messengers to pass on their orders. The nurse leaned over his desk, trying to catch her breath from running.

“M-Milord,” she huffed, “F-Forgive me for intruding.”

“It’s fine,” he responded, “Whatever it is, it must be urgent if you had to run across the castle.” She nodded, and what she said next made ice run through the young lord’s blood.

“I-It’s Princess Lucina, Your Grace,” she explained, “we… we can’t find her anywhere!”

 

* * *

 

Little Lucina quickly sat up in her bed, tears already pouring out of her eyes from yet another nightmare. She began to hiccup and wine, but before she cried for an adult to come with a light to chase the dark away, she remembered the visitor she had before she fell asleep.

“D-Daddy,” she whimpered, “Daddy’s home… Daddy will help…” She wiggled out of her blankets and made her way to the door to her room, her tiny hands slowly turning the knob before pushing it open. She stumbled down the dark hallway, trying to stay in the light from the windows until she reached two doors that were much larger than hers. She reached for the knob, but she couldn’t quite muster enough strength to open one. She huffed in annoyance, and began smacking her palms against the wood.

“Daddy,” she cried, “Daddy, the scary things! Please, Daddy!” But no matter how loud she called for him, he still did not answer her. After a few minutes, she let her hands slide down the door before she tried to wipe her tears and snot off with her nighttime dress’s sleeve. She hiccupped and whimpered, and turned to continue walking down the hall. Maybe if she searched, she could find him, and then he’ll make the scary things go away…

 

* * *

 

Frederick stood at the entrance of the stable, unmoving as his hands were folded behind his back. He was exhausted, but as much as he wanted to back to quarters and curl up next to his wife, Chrom’s orders continued to ring inside his head. He had sworn to serve the royal family of Ylisse, but sometimes he couldn’t believe what his lord made him do at times. To think that he would attempt to hide a dragon, one that looks like the biggest threat the world had ever known, in the heart of the capital, all because there was a slight chance that it could be the long-dead queen. He knew that the prince was incredibly attached to Robin, but this was simply absurd.

He stole a glance behind him, and save for the occasional horse shifting in its stall, nothing stirred. He focused on the spot where Chrom had left the dragon, but nothing made a noise from that lone stall in the back. He listened closely, and he thought that he picked up on its breathing for a moment, but before he could walk back over there to check, loud footsteps from in front of him stole his attention. He was shocked to see that it wasn’t Chrom, but instead was one of the castle guards.

“Sir Frederick,” he announced as he came closer, “I’m here to deliver your orders!” Frederick frowned.

“I already have orders,” he explained, “I received them from the Exalt himself!”

“These orders come from his Highness as well,” he countered, “he told me to tell you that these orders override the previous ones he gave! The Exalt is ordering all the castle guard and staff to locate Princess Lucina!” The knight’s heart skipped a beat for a moment. He turned back to the stable and gritted his teeth. The princess’s safety must take priority.

“Things had better stay the way they are now when I get back!” he shouted a little louder than normal. He stomped away, leaving the guard a bit bewildered as to why he yelled that, but quickly payed it no mind as he went after the cranky knight.

Robin briefly stirred after she heard Frederick shout, unable to really understand anything he said except for “stay,” which she gladly decided to do. The thought to go out and check what was happening scratched at the back of her head, but only lightly. Sleep seemed like a much more ideal idea, and after a few more minutes of shifting around in the straw, careful to keep her makeshift blanket in place, her eyes began to close again.

Just as her mind began to slip away and sleep, her ears perked up at the pitter-patter of small feet running inside the stable. Robin’s heart skipped a beat when she realized the owner was sniffling as she came closer to her stall.  

“Daddy,” a little voice whimpered, “Daddy where… are you?!” The voice began to cry loudly, and Robin knew exactly who her unintended visitor was; her daughter, Lucina. She was fully awake now, and trying hard to keep herself from bursting into tears. Her little infant was now a toddler, a toddler who could walk and talk. Chrom was right… she really had been gone for years. A part of her was wondering why a child was out wandering in the dead of night, but her instincts told her to focus on trying to comfort the weeping child. But she froze when she looked down and remembered what she looked like.

Seeing a monster was the last thing the terrified child needed, and Robin knew it. Her mind began scrambling thoughts, trying to decide if the risk of scaring her would be worth it. Quickly, the negatives began stacking up; Robin physically LOOKED like a monster, she couldn’t speak to her or hold her, and her daughter probably didn’t even know who she was. The last thought was what broke her heart the most.

Logically, it would’ve been best to let the child scream, and just try to stay out of sight when an adult finally found her and swept her away, possibly back to her father. So she surprised herself when she stood up and stuck her head out over the stall door. Lucina’s blue hair was a mess, probably from sleeping, and her little nightgown was covered in dirt and wrinkles. She was still sobbing, until she felt Robin’s hot breath on her head and looked up. Shockingly, instead of causing her to scream even louder, the little girl stopped crying and just stared up, a few stray tears still rolling down her cheeks. She reached up and patted her scaly snout, and a little smile began to grow across her face.

Lucina pushed her hands into the ground to help heave herself up, and she quickly turned back to Robin and shot a pointer finger up at her.

“You a weird horsey!” she exclaimed. Robin’s body began to shake, and she let out a sight of relief; her daughter wasn’t afraid of her. While she was distracted with her thoughts, the little girl reached up and grabbed her snout and pulled. Surprised, she pulled her head away, causing Lucina to fall over as the dragon let out a loud sneeze. A huge grin spread across her face, and she began to giggle at Robin.

“Again, again!” the princess demanded. Robin paused for a moment to really study her daughter’s bright and happy face, eagerly awaiting her to do it again. She could feel her heart swell, and decided to indulge her daughter. It was the least she could do for her.

She let out another sneeze, and Lucina shrieked with delight as her small hands clapped rapidly.

“Again!” she yelled. She wasn’t sure if there really was one, but she could feel herself trying to smile despite her massive jaws. She continued to sneeze as her daughter requested it over and over again, and soon the little princess was rolling over with laughter. Robin was glad that she could do something to comfort her after all, even if it was for a little while.

The sound of panicked steps interrupted their playtime, and Robin turned her head quickly to see Chrom standing at the entranceway, leaning on a beam and obviously out of breath. His eyes glanced from her to Lucina, and he quickly ran up and scooped her into his arms.

“Lucina,” he sighed with relief, “Why did you run off? You know you have to stay in your room when it’s nighttime.”

“The scary things came back,” she muttered. Chrom sucked in a breath, and he glanced over to Robin to see if she had picked up on his behavior. Her eyes were staring right at him. Gods, of course she knew something was up. He could never hide anything from her.

“I-I’ll explain later,” he quickly said, but the way her eyes continued to stare, she wasn’t satisfied with his statement. But before he could say anything more, their daughter patted his chest to get his attention.

“Daddy, Daddy,” she exclaimed as she pointed to Robin, “Horsey! The weird horsey is funny!” Chrom rose an eyebrow, but Robin only rolled her eyes. He chuckled, and decided that calling her a “weird horsey” was better than her being terrified of her own mother. Of course, Lucina didn’t know who Robin was, but the prince knew that it would break his wife’s heart even more if her own child was afraid of her.

Just as he was about to open his mouth, another pair of hurried footsteps came running up to the stable, causing Robin to disappear once more in her stall and Chrom to briskly walk to the entrance with his daughter still in his arms. The little girl protested, but he was more concentrated on trying to see who was there. Robin’s instinct to hide proved to be ideal as a castle guard ran up, clearly eager to give the Exalt her reports, only to stop when she saw the child in his arms.

“Milord,” she sighed with relief, “You found her! Thank the gods…” Chrom nodded.

“Y-Yes,” he responded, “I need you to spread the word that I am calling off the search.” As he was speaking, his daughter began to restlessly smack his metal pauldron to get his attention.

“Daddyyyy,” she whined, “Daddy, horsey! The horsey, Daddy!” The guard just chuckled at her comment, and then quickly ran away to spread the message that the princess was safe.

“Alight, Luci,” he conceded, “We’ll say good night to the horsey and then go to bed.”

“…Your bed?” she asked.

“Yes, my bed,” he laughed. Lucina smiled and hugged his neck, and then he gently set her back down. She immediately went back to Robin’s stall and banged on the door.

“The coast is clear, Robin,” Chrom whispered, “Someone wants to say good night.” Sure enough, her dark head had popped out, and the little girl squealed with delight.

“Again, again!” she shrieked. Immediately Robin let out a fake sneeze, and Lucina began to laugh again. However, it wasn’t long until the little princess let out a big yawn. Chrom scooped her back up into his arms, this time with little protest. Before they left, he walked up to Robin and gently patted her head.

“Good night, Robin,” he whispered, “I promise I’ll be back tomorrow morning. I love you, Robin…” She looked right into his eyes, desperate to tell him that she felt the same way towards him. As he walked away, a pair of tired blue eyes peeked over his shoulder.

“Nuh-night Wo-bean…” she called out. Chrom hugged her close, and Robin ducked back in the stall, her emotions finally flowing out through her tears. She was heartbroken that she couldn’t hold her daughter again, but she was also over the moon that her daughter didn’t run away from her. Instead, she insisted on playing with her, and seeing her daughter so happy and full of life reminded her of why she did what she did two years ago.

 

* * *

 

Light pouring through the slits of the curtains shone onto her eyes, rousing her from her sleep. Her blue eyes peeled open, but she groaned and quickly shoved her head into her pillow. How could it be morning already?

However, frantic knocking at the front door of her modest home woke her up again, causing her to groan again. Normally she would spring out of bed and run out of her room and to the door, eager to help a villager in need. But sleep just seemed like a much friendlier companion, especially since she hadn’t been able to rest well for the past few nights. She grabbed an extra pillow on her bed and chucked it at the young man sleeping in the bed on the other side of their small room. An annoyed grunt signaled to her that she hit her mark.

“Morgan,” she groggily said, “Morgan… go see who’s at the door…” Instead, her little brother gave annoyed huff and rolled over in his bed. He was never much of a morning person, especially when he decided to stay up all night reading whatever book he managed to get ahold of.

“Too tired,” he argued, “You go…”

“I went last time,” she countered, “your turn…” She waited a few moments, either for Morgan to get up or for their early visitor to get the hint and walk away. Alas, the later was insistent, and continued to bang on the wooden door. Finally, after a few minutes, her brother gave in, and he bed creaked as he slowly made his way to the door after fetching his tactician cloak. When the door creaked shut, her eyes began to slowly close again, until he nearly knocked the door off its hinges when he slammed it open again.

“Luci,” he shouted, “Luci, wake up!” She bolted up with a snort. She whipped her head around to yell at him, until she saw that he was holding an envelope addressed to them, and sealed with the same brand that rested in her left eye. She was fully awake now, all tiredness finally evaporated from her mind.

“It’s a message from Father!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hid an obscure Fullmetal Alchemist reference in there. Have fun trying to find it.


	4. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucina and Morgan arrive in Ylisstol.

A small stone caused Sumia to trip as she approached the stable, but luckily she managed not to fall flat on her face this time. She glanced up at the sky before moving forward, noting how pink it still was in the early morning. Her eyes felt heavy when she remembered how the castle had gone into chaos the night before when the princess had gone missing, and during the confusion, she had heard that her husband, Frederick, had come home a bit early from his previous mission.

She had wondered where he had gone in the night, but as she came up to the entrance of the stable, she saw the glimmer of armor in the weak morning sun, and a smile grew across her face. Frederick was sitting nearby on a stool, his elbow propped up on a barrel, and his head resting in his hand. He was still fast asleep, snoring lightly, as she approached him. She sighed as she ran her fingers through his hair lightly, chuckling as he continued to rest in the barn. She always admired her husband’s diligence and dedication to his job. A familiar nicker reminded her why she had come in early, and she quickly made her way to her pegasus’s stall.

“Good morning, girl,” she greeted as she patted its white nose, “Ready for our early patrol of the city?” It whinnied in response, and playfully nudged her rider’s shoulder.

“Alright, alright,” she giggled, “let me just find the brushes and then we’ll get saddled up.” She started walking down the aisle, farther into the stable.

“Now let’s see,” she muttered to herself, “I think I hung the brush basket in one of the empty stalls over here…”

 

* * *

 

 

Lissa yawned and dragged her feet as she followed Chrom out to the stable. She was running on only a few hours of sleep, after arriving home so late and waking up to her brother banging on her door at the crack of dawn. Why she had to go with him to check on Robin this early she couldn’t figure out. The most annoying part was how much energy he had, despite having even less sleep than her. His endurance was a true wonder.

The morning was quiet and peaceful, until a high-pitched scream rang out from the stable. Fully awake now, Lissa and Chrom bolted forward, their faces sheet white. It was obvious that someone had already seen Robin. After finally reaching the inside of the barn, they saw Frederick standing between a terrified Sumia and Robin’s stall. Chrom quickly ran up behind the knight and called for Robin. She was backed into a corner, her body curled up and her eyes filled with as much fear as Sumia’s. It hurt to see her afraid, but he was relieved that she wasn’t hurt.  

“Love, please, calm down!” Frederick called to the Pegasus knight. He gripped her shoulders, trying to get her to focus on him.

“F-Frederick,” she whimpered as she looked into his eyes, “what… what on earth is going on?! What is that… that dragon doing here?!” He scratched the back of his head and coughed awkwardly, unsure on where to start exactly.

“It’s Robin,” Chrom responded as he turned towards her, “She… needs our help.” Frederick turned to face his lord as Sumia carefully studied him. Chrom stood with confidence, his mind obviously made up on the matter. She glanced passed the prince and back towards the dragon in the stall, and then sighed.

“You… must be sure of this, Captain, if you’re having my husband guard her,” she smiled, finally a bit relaxed. Everyone around her, including Robin, let out a relieved sigh.

“We’re trying to keep her a secret for now,” Chrom explained. Sumia shook her head.

“Then why is she here,” she asked, “Captain, many people walk through here throughout the day! You’re just lucky that I was the only one.” Chrom scratched the back of his head. That’s what he had Frederick guarding for, but having his knight halt all access to the stable would rouse suspicion eventually.

“I-I, well,” he muttered, “It was so late when we got here… I just… couldn’t think of anywhere else…” Sumia simply chuckled and sighed. Chrom was never known for thinking things all the way through.

“May I suggest a different location for her?”

 

* * *

 

 

The old barracks of the Shepherds was covered in dust as Chrom pushed the wooden door open. The militia was disbanded shortly after the fall of Grima, so no one had been inside for well over a year. Nostalgia quickly washed over him, and he nearly got lost in his own thoughts until he heard heavy steps behind him, and felt a warm rush of air blow through his hair. He turned around to see Robin looking around the room as she crept nervously further inside.

“I told you you’d fit!” Lissa chirped from behind the dragon. She glanced towards the smiling princess and give her a slow nod, and then turned towards the table in the middle of the room. Her breath hitched a bit, and Chrom moved aside so she could study the map that was still laid out, covered in ink stains and small notes here and there. She recognized it immediately.

It was the map she used to strategize their initial moves before meeting with Plegia to recover the final gemstone for the Fire Emblem, Sable. She looked back towards her husband, but he too was studying the map, lazily running his gloved fingers over the old paper, a small smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. He truly had a hard time of letting go of the past while she was gone…

“It’s a bit dusty,” he finally said, pulling her away from her worries for the time, “but… hopefully no one will come in here without me knowing about it.” He frowned and looked away again, towards the door, and her heart sank when she realized that he had to leave again.

“I can stay with you if you’d like,” Sumia offered, “and… if Chrom doesn’t mind.” He smiled and thanked her, giving her permission to stay with her for a while. Her smile grew when she turned back to Robin, an excited glint in her eyes.

“Robin, remember Wyvern Wars,” she chatted lightly, “the author wrote a sequel! It was amazing, too! I’ll go get it for you if you’d like!”

 

* * *

 

 

Lucina made hurried steps down the trail, her brother only a few paces behind her. They had been traveling for almost two days now, on their way to Ylisstol at the request of their father. She couldn’t deny that she was excited to see her father again, but a nagging worry kept creeping up in the back of her mind.

“I can’t wait to see Mother again!” Morgan chirped behind her. He was smiling from ear to ear, and she couldn’t help but smile back.

“Yes,” she responded, “It’s… wonderful that Father was able to find her after all this time…” Her brother walked a bit faster, so he could walk next to her. She glanced at him, seeing that despite the excitement that covered most of his face, his eyes had a tinge of worry peppered in them.

“You sound nervous,” he said anxiously, “Don’t worry, Luci. I’m sure Mother will be delighted to see us too!” She shook her head and sighed.

“You read his letter too, Morgan,” she responded, “It just seemed like Father was… I don’t know… I expected a bit more emotion in his words than what we got…”

“It’s hard to gauge a person’s emotions based on words alone, Sister,” he countered, “Maybe he was in a rush while writing?”

“I just… I feel like something might be wrong with Mother,” she finally confessed. Morgan froze at her words, and his face began to turn pale.

“Why would… why would you think something like that?!” They stopped walking for a minute, and Lucina gently rested her hand on his shoulder.

“Look, Morgan, I just,” she sighed, “I just think we should be prepared for the worst. There’s a possibility that she’s lost her memories again, she’s ill, or she could even be-“

“Stop,” he interrupted as he brushed her hand away, “Please, just… we can’t say things like that! We have to stay confident.” He started walking forward again, and Lucina just let out a long sigh as she followed him.

 

* * *

 

 

After arriving in the capital, Lucina and Morgan went into the royal stable, following the instructions in their father’s letter. Within a brief period of time, Chrom finally arrived, and happily greeted his children from the future with a warm hug.

“It’s wonderful to see you, Father,” Lucina smiled.

“I’m glad to see you two as well,” he responded, his own smile seeming to grow. He pulled away from them, and his gaze wavered as he let out a long sigh through his nose. It had been much too long since he had last seen them.

“Father,” Morgan hastily said, “uh, I hate to rush this, but… where is Mother?” Chrom’s smile disappeared, and heavy silence began to weigh down on the family.

“W-Well,” Chrom coughed, “I… I don’t know exactly how to explain this…”

“Is she alive?!” his son quickly shouted. His heart ached when he noticed pinpricks of tears starting to creep out from the corners of his amber eyes, a perfect copy of Robin’s. Chrom swallowed hard.

“She is,” he reassured, “She is alive, and she has all of her memories. Er, I think…”

“You think?” Lucina repeated. How odd, she thought, how could he not be sure if she had all her memories?”

“It’s… a long story,” Chrom said as he shook his head, “I’m not sure how to tell you two this… so I suppose… it would be better to show you…”

As Lucina followed her brother and Chrom out of the stable, her the gears in her head began to turn, trying to decipher what was going on. She’s sure that her mother is alive. Chrom would’ve been in much worse shape if he had found her corpse, and he seemed to be holding his head higher now since the last time she saw him. Perhaps she’s ill? She supposedly has her memories, but he’s not sure? Maybe she lost her ability to speak somehow? But if that was the case, why were they heading towards the old barracks instead of a healers’ room?

Chrom stopped suddenly right outside the door, and he glanced at her and Morgan nervously.

“So… try to stay calm,” he whispered, “Robin is… um… very nervous to see you…”

“Don’t worry, Father, no matter what, she’s still our mother!” Morgan responded happily. However, his comment seemed to twist a knife in her gut, and she glanced at her father to see that his eyes were filled with sorrow despite the small smile that tugged at the corners of his lips. He simply nodded and knocked on the door.

“Robin,” he called out as he cracked the door open, “Morgan and Lucina are finally here.” There was no response, but after a few moments he gently pushed the door open and stepped inside before he waved them inside.

What Lucina saw was the last thing she ever wanted to see again.

The wind was knocked out of her lungs as six eyes stared back at her from the shadows. Her blood ran cold, and yet the room had never felt so hot before. Soon all she could smell was death and blood, her vision clouded by the smoke that seeped from a giant monster’s jaws as a demonic voice began to laugh maniacally at her, her loved ones, and everything she did to protect what little she had left. She felt a hand clasp her shoulder, and she screamed as she pulled her own blade out of its scabbard.

 

* * *

 

 

Robin began to instinctively back away from her daughter as she began to lunge for her, with Falchion gripped tightly in her hand and anger burning madly in her eyes. Her heart began hammering in her chest as she bumped against the wall, but Lucina wasn’t able to get any closer to her as Chrom grabbed her and pulled her away.

“Let me go,” she shrieked, “Let me go! I _must_ kill it! I’ve sacrificed too much to let him rise again!”

“Lucina, please, calm down,” he shouted back, “I won’t let you harm Robin!” Her daughter stopped trying to pull her arm out of his grip for a moment. She angerly glanced between him and Robin, gritting her teeth.

“Father,” she said a bit sympathetically, “I know you loved Mother… I loved her too… and I know you’ve been having a difficult time these past few years… but please, Father, how on earth is this your wife?! Where is the proof?!” Chrom’s hand squeezed her arm tighter as he began to bristle with frustration.

“It is her, I’m sure of it,” he responded.

“How,” Lucina shouted as she finally pulled her arm out of her father’s hand, “How do you know that?! How are you sure that you’re not cursed or something?!” Robin’s heart twisted after hearing that. It was very close to the rumors that had spread around the court after she married Chrom, but what was worse was how much sense her reasoning made. Chrom’s love for his wife was no secret, even to the neighboring countries. Robin wasn’t sure what the status of the Grimleal was now, but she’s sure that the dark mages could’ve tried to hex him in revenge…

The heat from both Chrom and Lucina’s stares pulled back into her current situation, and she couldn’t help but gulp and shake. But Chrom shook his head, obviously not quite convinced with Lucina’s words, much to Robin’s relief. Although she was slightly alarmed that he wasn’t taking heed of her warnings. But then, Chrom was always a bit reckless, especially when it came to protecting the ones he loved.

“It’s her, I’m sure of it,” he finalized. Lucina let out a long, frustrated sigh, but before she could argue more, she gasped when she saw Morgan leave her side and walk towards Robin. She pleaded for him to stop, to stay behind her so she can protect him, but he ignored her as he came closer. Chrom said nothing, but was intently watching his son, as was Robin herself. He gently stroked his hand over her dark scales, and afterwards he looked up at her and met her eyes. Tears started to fall down his cheeks, but despite the sadness in his eyes, he managed a small smile.

“Mother,” he muttered, “it’s so good to see you again.” Robin opened her jaw slightly to say something back, to reassure him, until she remembered that she was unable to do that.

Morgan turned back to his father, his eyes still filled with tears.

“Father, how are we going to help her?” he asked. Chrom just shook his head once more.

“I… I don’t know,” he admitted, “But… I invited someone here who I hope will be able to help us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI SO... I'm REALLY SORRY I took a long time to update! This semester has been keeping me incredibly busy. In addition, I had a lot of trouble with this chapter. Like... I don't know, the words just weren't coming to me. Constructive criticism is always welcome (please let me know how I can make the next chapters better haha)! Thanks for reading~


	5. Indefinite

The sun’s rays were beating down on Lucina as she stood outside the old barracks, her fingers gripped around the hilt of her Falchion so tightly her knuckles were beginning to turn white. While her father knew what he had meant when he asked her to keep an eye on Robin inside, she still couldn’t stand looking at her. Just thinking about the unnatural six eyes behind the door she guarded made her blood boil.

And yet, a part of her still held onto a tiny bit of hope.

Her grip on Falchion tightened, her head turning towards a dusty window to glance inside, until she was interrupted by a familiar voice calling out her name. She blinked, and greeted Morgan as he walked up to her, his hands full with more books from the library.

“How has your day been, Luci?” he smiled.

“Quiet,” she responded, “Nothing to report.” Her brother glanced at her, to the door, and then back at her.

“…Well,” he coughed, “I need to go in. Mother and I are still going through records-“

“What books do you have there, Morgan?” she interrupted. He gulped and pulled the book close to his chest, making it difficult for her to see the cover.

“J-Just some texts on past encounters with curses, you know?” He half-heartedly responded without looking at her. Lucina read the spine of the book he was trying to hide and rolled her eyes.

“Morgan… I know that book,” she countered, “That’s a collection of fairy tales that was read to us for story time before bed.” Morgan bit his lip as he fidgeted in his boots, and tried to get around his sister and inside. But she continued to move in front of him, preventing him from escaping her imploring gaze. He sighed.

“It’s… it’s all we have left,” he whispered, “None of the official documents offered any solutions for a curse this… severe.” Lucina groaned with annoyance.

“And made up stories are supposed to help you how?” she asked suspiciously. He gulped, but then tried to go for another strategy to dodge her question.

“Why don’t you come in this time,” he offered, “I’m sure Mother would love to see you again!” She sighed as she shook her head.

“No,” she said, deciding to abandon her previous question, “There’s no point in getting attached.”

“What do you mean,” he quickly asked, “She… needs our help. It’s not like she CHOSE to be in that body, Luci!” Gods how she wanted to agree with her little brother. She wanted to easily believe that her mother finally back after sacrificing her life for their future. Not a day went by when her heart ached for her mother after losing her a second time. But just looking at the dragon inside was enough to hear the echoes of Grima’s bone chilling laugh as she watches everything she loved burst into hellish flames.

“How are you so sure it’s her,” she countered as a silent shiver ran down her spine, “For all we know, we’re merely playing house with Grima as he patiently waits for his full strength to come back and finish what he started!” Morgan shook his head as tears began to slowly prick at the corners of his eyes.

“No, you’re wrong,” he growled, “I know you tend to look at things in the worst way possible, but you have to-“

“What’s that supposed to mean,” she shouted, “You think I’m a pessimist?! Morgan, if you could remember even a fraction of what our future was like, I think you’d understand why I have a difficult time trusting anything that looks like that thing in there!”

“She’s our mother,” he screamed back, tears starting to roll down his cheeks, “I don’t want to lose her again! She needs our help! And I am NOT going to let you-“

“What’s with all this shouting?!” The strong voice of their father quickly ended their heated argument. As he approached them, he crossed his arms, and he wore a dissatisfied look as he peered down on his future daughter and son.

“Why are you two yelling at the top of your lungs,” he asked again, “I was afraid you were being attacked by gods know what!” When they both continued to sheepishly look away from him, Morgan sniffling as he tried to control his tears, he sighed and simply pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Well, whatever it was, you two had better sort out your differences soon,” he explained as he stepped aside, “Our guest is here.” Both siblings looked in the direction that their father was gesturing towards. Standing behind the exalt was a young-looking woman wearing a red dress, and her green hair was tied up in a lose ponytail.

“L-Lady Tiki?!” Lucina gasped.

“Hello there,” she smiled in response, “It’s so nice to see you all again.” After greeting the children, she turned back to Chrom.

“Your father has already told me about Robin,” she explained. He glanced away for a moment, perhaps still a bit ashamed of how poorly the reunion between Robin and daughter had gone.

“I’m not sure what I can do to help,” she continued, “but I will do as much as I can.” Morgan rubbed the tears out of his eyes with his sleeve and thanked her.

And with that, Chrom slowly opened the door to the barracks and peeked inside before inviting everyone to go in.

 

* * *

 

 

Robin’s knees shook as she carefully watched Chrom’s party follow him into the room she was occupying. She especially felt her stomach flip when she saw Lucina, who still refused to trust her. She couldn’t blame her daughter, not after everything she had gone through to save the future, but it still hurt to feel her disapproving eyes pierce through her scaly skin and squeeze her heart.

However, at the sight of Lady Tiki, Robin could feel her body begin to ease a bit. Chrom had told her a few days ago that he had sent her a message as well, asking for her assistance. The Voice locked eyes with hers, seeing the waves of concern and pity wash over her gaze.

“Hello, Robin,” she greeted as she confidently approached her, “It has been much too long, friend.” She reached up and patted her nose, as if reassuring Robin that she truly was here to help her. After a few moments, she pulled her hand away and turned to face Chrom and his children.

“I have no doubts,” Tiki stated, “this is Robin, albeit in a form that is most unnatural for her.” Lucina’s eyebrows rose slightly, as if shocked that she would say something like that. But Chrom and Morgan both wore small smiles of relief on their faces.

“Then,” Lucina spoke up, “If this is… Mother… then… how did this happen?” Tiki looked back up at Robin, and then at Lucina.

“Grima’s aura is quite strong,” she observed, “I do have my suspicions on how this was done, but, in order to know for sure…” she moved her gaze from Lucina to her father, and he quickly stepped forward. His cape rustled as he pulled the Fire Emblem out and handed it to Tiki. She thanked him, and then ran her fingers over the gemstones as they rested in their respective sockets. She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

“Yes,” she murmured, “it is just as I feared.” Everyone, including Robin, held their breaths, waiting for her to explain what she had meant.

“The gems have been corrupted,” she continued, “this must have been done by Validar as a back-up curse in case the first summoning failed.” Chrom cursed under his breath. Even when that wicked man was dead, he was still controlling Robin’s life in some way…

“But, he never had all of the gems,” Morgan pointed out, “Basilio secretly had Gules when he was attempting the ritual.” Tiki nodded.

“Yes,” she agreed, “and I suspect that that weakened the curse in some way. But Gules still rests with its siblings, and over time has absorbed the corruption surrounding it.” To prove her point, she attempted to remove the red gem from the shield, but it refused to move.

“…How do we reverse this?” Chrom finally asked. Tiki sighed as she handed the ancient treasure back to him.

“There… is a way to purify the gems,” she explained, “it may lift the curse, or it may not.”

“We must try,” Chrom said with determination, “just name it. I’ll do anything.” He stole a glance at Robin before locking eyes with Tiki.

“…The Fire Emblem was originally made to seal away what were once called Earth Dragons,” Tiki said, “and in order to do so, Naga used the sands of several lands around the world to form the gems. From what I understand, each gem has a birthplace, and if it is to be returned to it, it can then return to its original state.” The corners of Chrom’s lips twitched up in attempt to smile, but he had to hold back his sense of relief.

“And… where are these birthplaces you speak of, Lady Tiki?” He finally asked after a few moments of silence. She blinked, and her eyes began to sadden the longer she looked at him.

“I only know of two of them for sure,” she explained, “the other three I am… unsure.” Chrom grit his teeth. Of course, there would be some sort of obstacles to tackle, but he never imagined it would be something like this.

“It’s like looking for a tiny needle in a giant haystack,” Morgan’s voice trembled as he mumbled.

“What’s worse, we don’t even know if putting them back will even have an effect on this,” Lucina added.

Chrom could feel his blood begin to run cold as another question came to his mind. He knew he already knew the answer to it, but he prayed to any god who would listen that if he vocalized it, perhaps he would be wrong.

“…I imagine we don’t have a lot of time to sit and figure out where they are, do we?” he said flatly.

“We do not,” Tiki answered as she shook her head, “Even as we speak, the curse grows stronger. Robin coming back in this form is proof that time is not on our side. If we do not hurry, I fear Robin will lose her heart, and Grima shall be reborn once more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sooooooo sorry these chapters are taking so long to get out!! I feel really bad... I've just been busy with my coding class, and I've working on some illustration and animation projects too. ANYWAY, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always, constructive criticism is always welcomed!
> 
> ALSO, big thank you to everyone who beta read this chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> This is going end up being a long one I can already tell. I can't say how often I'll be able to update the story, since I am currently a full-time college student, but I will do my best. I am very excited to be working on this.
> 
> I was inspired to explore the idea of Robin coming back with the body of a dragon by both Brave and Brother Bear, so there may be a few familiar elements from those stories. But I'm not sure if there's enough to tag this as a "Brave AU" and/or "Brother Bear AU." Speaking of tags, I'll be adding characters in them as they appear in the story, and other pairings will be added as mentions.
> 
> My friend Exalted_Dawn is also currently working on a Dragon Robin story called A Blanket of Scales. While our stories are both inspired by the same prompt, they are quite different takes, so I highly recommend checking out her version as well. Special thank you to her for proofreading this chapter!
> 
> Constructive criticism is always welcomed and appreciated.


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